Uber Prices to Surge During New Year's Eve

Breaking News Emails

Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

Dec. 31, 2014, 3:12 PM GMT

New Year's Eve: the day to overpay for everything from that glass of flat Champagne to the impossibly-high heels you'll wear just once, to, once again, that ride home from Uber. The ride-hailing app expects this New Year's Eve to be its busiest night ever. Due to high demand — and because it can — Uber is bringing back its surge pricing, a boon to its drivers but a bane to passengers. Fares can increase sevenfold or more during the busiest time of the night, which Uber says will be between 12:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. To avoid spiking fares, Uber suggests booking a ride right after the ball drops at midnight, or wait until after 2:30. The app will notify users in advance if surge pricing is in effect, and full-price estimates are given before requesting a ride. In addition to partying at home, taking public transportation or a cab, however, there are other options for revelers who, for whatever reason, think better of driving on New Year's Eve. Riders who use rival Lyft will also see a version of Uber's price surge, called "Prime Time." The feature is turned on when ride requests "greatly outnumber available drivers." How much extra you'll pay, Lyft says, depends on demand.